We meet with dozens of people per year who are
not currently exercising, but looking for a way to
get started. Many are interested in learning more
about strength training, as they know it is
something that becomes more important to
maintain a quality of life as we age.

There is often a level of fear associated with
strength training. Fear of doing it wrong. Fear of
the unknown. Fear of not looking silly doing
something new and unfamiliar.

Most commonly, there is a fear of injury.

We understand this fear. There is an inherent injury risk that comes with any form of exercise or physical activity. Heck, you can pull a muscle simply by
sneezing!

Often when people think “strength training”, they think of big, burly guys and girls lifting the heaviest weights they can (powerlifting). They think of
throwing barbells over their heads (olympic weightlifting). They think of super complex exercises that require tons of coordination and strength, and doing
these exercises as part of a circuit under fatigue (crossfit).

You CAN get fit doing those things…But we agree – the injury risk probably isn’t worth the potential benefit to those forms of strength training,

When we talk about strength training here at Bolt, what we are likely talking about is some sort of “bodybuilding” style of training. While we’re not
bodybuilders per se, we ARE trying to build our bodies. We want more lean muscle tissue, stronger muscles, and less fat. We get there by training safe
movements with controlled ranges of motions in the 6-20 rep range. We do multiple sets, and aim to use a little more weight or do a few more reps each week. If the exercise doesn’t feel good for whatever reason, we change it to an exercise that does feel good.

There are plenty of ways to get fit. We follow this “bodybuilding” style approach because it is not only likely to be the most effective way to acheive most
fitness goals for everyday adults, but an entire body of research tells us it’s also the safest.

Safer than powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, or crossfit. Safer than playing a sport. Safer than even running (by a longshot!).

Lifting weights isn’t inherently dangerous. Lifting weights poorly can be dangerous.

Technique comes first. Focus on doing simple exercises with excellent form. Choose weights that challenge you, but that you can still lift with control. Aim
to make your exercises a little more challenging each week, ensuring you can still train with good technique and control.

If you follow this approach, you will build muscle, get stronger, and lose fat in a safe and effective manner